Hummel Quest: Tùzǐ's story
by Soveliss24
Summary: After his team is wiped out by bandits, Tùzǐ the NC-31 joins a band of strangers to carry on his dead team leader's legacy. Side story based on Autophagy's The Hummel Quest.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Tùzǐ was not having a good day. Just that morning the little NC-31 had set out with his team hoping to get a little easy combat practice on the outskirts of a ruined city. He never dreamed they would run into anything their T29 leader couldn't protect them from. What could be scarier than a T29?

_The sound of a cannon ripped through the air. Tùzǐ's turret spun to the side in time to see the Covenanter beside him die, turret blasted to scrap metal by the incoming shell._

"_AMBUSH! GET TO COVER!" boomed Thrasher's voice over the panicked shouts of the smaller tanks. Tùzǐ sprinted for a ruined building, shells screaming past. He was almost to safety when another shot struck the building right in front of him. They were firing from both sides! Tùzǐ looked around desperately, but there was no other cover in sight. Suddenly he felt his fuel run cold. A few hundred meters behind the group, he spotted one of their attackers: a Hellcat._

The NC-31 crept through the forest as quietly as he could, turret swiveling constantly. Any second he expected to see an enemy tank crest a rise, or worse, feel a shot ripping into his hull from a hidden tank he failed to notice. Thrasher hadn't seen them waiting. No one in the team had. How could Tùzǐ expect to?

_A brick fell from the building where the shell had hit, startling Tùzǐ back to his senses. He revved his engine and rammed through the weakened wall, causing part of the roof to collapse behind him. The Hellcat didn't seem to have seen him. Safe - for now. Trying to stay as quiet as possible, he peeked out through a small hole in the rubble. The Hellcat fired again, and another tank exploded into flames. Tùzǐ backed into the shadows, whimpering quietly._

Tùzǐ took deep breaths, trying to calm his rattling ventilation system. Those bandits must still be looking for him. He'd been fleeing all day, alternately hiding from the big tank destroyers and fighting hit-and-run against the weaker tanks they used as expendable scouts. He hadn't seen any sign of the rest of his team. They probably hadn't made it out of the ruins.

_A deep boom shook the building where Tùzǐ hid, and the enemy Hellcat went up in flames. Tùzǐ turned toward the sound, and caught a glimpse of Thrasher through one of the building's windows. The T29's smoking barrel swept around, searching for more targets. His turret was marred by dents from bounced shells, and several of the smaller tanks huddled near the heavy, trying to use his hull as cover. Tùzǐ considered making a run for them, but then he spotted another ambusher beyond the group. This one didn't look like a tank destroyer. Its silhouette looked British, and it was nearly the size of Thrasher. Bigger than a Churchill, even bigger than a Black Prince. A rear-mounted turret. And the size of that gun…_

As Tùzǐ crawled up a small rise, the sound of a shot split the air. He nearly screamed before he could stop himself. The shot had come from nearby, but not close enough to be aimed at him. Someone was fighting over the hill ahead. He crept forward cautiously as the cannons continued to sound, ready to fall back at the smallest sign of danger.

_Tùzǐ gasped as he recognized the bandit. He was about to scream a warning to Thrasher when the FV215b(183) "Death Star" fired - directly at the back of Thrasher's turret. The T29 disintegrated like he was made of tissue paper, shrapnel flying in all directions. The explosion was so massive it enveloped the tanks hiding behind Thrasher. Tùzǐ didn't see whether any of them survived. He retreated into the darkest corner of his hiding spot and huddled there, immobilized by fear. Several hours passed before he worked up the courage to look outside again. Only the empty city, dotted with smoking wrecks, greeted him._

Tùzǐ's turret crested the hill just enough to spot the tanks fighting in the valley ahead. Two Hellcats hid behind rock outcroppings to his right, trading shots with an unfamiliar KV-1. The Hellcats had each suffered several wounds, but they didn't appear to have scratched their opponent. As Tùzǐ watched one of them fired, and the shell slammed into the KV's gun mantlet with a loud clang. Her turret shook with the impact, but it didn't seem to have done any damage. She swung her gun toward the offending Hellcat, fired back, and the tank destroyer caught fire, exploding a moment later. The second Hellcat tried to make a run for the end of the valley. The KV-1 turned her turret slightly, paused a moment to aim, and fired a shell into its back.

Tùzǐ inched backward, wary of this newcomer. Yes, she had killed two of the bandits, but who was to say she wasn't a bandit herself? If two Hellcats couldn't even scratch her, Tùzǐ didn't have a chance in hell. He watched nervously as the KV-1 turned back and forth, turret scanning the valley walls. She and Tùzǐ spotted the Death Star at the same moment, rolling down from the end of the valley opposite the dead Hellcats. Tùzǐ froze, too frightened to even think of running. Fortunately the Death Star wasn't looking at him. The KV-1 was caught out in the open, with no cover nearby. She rolled backward slowly, moving towards a small depression in the valley floor, but Tùzǐ could tell it wasn't deep enough to hide her. At most it would cover her hull, leaving her turret exposed.

The Death Star rolled forward almost casually, clearly not concerned by the retreating KV. And why should it be? Its armor was far too tough for her 85mm cannon to deal with, and even if she could penetrate it she would need quite a few shots to destroy such an enemy. The Death Star would only need one. The KV-1 stopped at the edge of the depression and calmly faced the massive tank destroyer, turning her hull diagonal to it. Tùzǐ watched in mixed horror and confusion. _Does she really think she can angle enough to bounce one of those shells? Is she overconfident or just suicidal?_

_I've got to help._

Tùzǐ inched forward until he could bring his gun down to aim at the enemy. He didn't have any illusions about damaging a tank like that, but maybe, just maybe, he could distract it long enough to allow both of them to escape. He brought his gun on target, started to aim…

The Death Star fired. At the same moment the KV-1 reversed as hard as she could, dropping the back of her hull into the depression. Her turret tilted at a crazy angle, the FV's shell clipped it - and skipped off, exploding in the air just beyond its target. She threw her engine back into forward gear and climbed back onto level ground. Bringing her gun on target, she fired back at the Death Star, neatly blowing off its left front drive wheel. Tùzǐ saw an instant change in the demeanor of both tanks. Suddenly the FV215b(183) was the one looking worried as the KV-1 circled around it with the air of a predator. As she passed the side of the bigger tank she fired a second shot and clipped off its left rear drive wheel as well. The Death Star tried to turn its turret to follow her, but when it reached 45 degrees it stopped with a clang. Its turret didn't have the traverse range of an ordinary tank. The terrifying tank destroyer was helpless.

The KV-1 stopped behind the Death Star and took careful aim at the base of its turret. She fired, and a massive explosion heralded the detonation of the FV's ammo storage. The tank destroyer's turret sailed off in a high arc to land nearly a hundred meters from the wreck. Tùzǐ was rooted to the spot, awestruck. The KV-1 drove past the wreck of her enemy and stopped in the middle of the valley. "I know you're up there," she called out, gun swinging up towards Tùzǐ's vantage point. "Come down, little one. I won't bite."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tùzǐ rolled nervously forward from his hiding place and down into the valley. He carefully kept his gun pointed slightly away from the KV-1 as he approached, not wanting to risk provoking her. She seemed to notice his uneasiness and turned her gun away as well. "What's your name, little one?" she asked.

"Tùzǐ," he replied quietly.

"I'm Narida. Nice to meet you, Tuzi." Her pronunciation of his name was off, but Tùzǐ wasn't brave enough to correct her. "Are you out here all alone?" Narida asked, scanning the ridgeline.

"No. I mean, yes. But I didn't mean to be," he answered. The KV-1 turned back to look at him quizzically. "I was part of a team," Tùzǐ explained, "A few wanderers led by a T-29. We ran into those bandits this morning. They killed him, and a bunch of the others. I think… I think I'm the only one that made it."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Narida paused for a moment. "This T-29. Was his name Thrasher?"

Tùzǐ looked up, surprised. "Yes. Did you know him?"

"Not exactly. Knew his reputation. I'd heard he was gathering a team to fight the bandits out here. I'm doing the same thing, and I thought I'd come out to see if he was willing to join forces." She sighed. "Are you sure he's dead?"

Tùzǐ shivered, glancing at the Death Star's wreckage. "Positive. THAT thing put a shot into the back of his turret."

Narida sighed again, cannon drooping slightly. "I see. Well," she said, obviously forcing a brighter tone, "it looks like you're in need of a team, and I did come out here looking for new members. How would you like to join my team?"

"Just like that?" Tùzǐ burst out before he could stop himself. "I- I mean…" he stammered, sheepishly lowering his gun, "I'm grateful, b-but you just met me. How do you know I wasn't with them?" He indicated the wrecks of the FV and the two Hellcats.

Narida studied him for a long moment before answering. "I don't. But your story matches up with facts I had already; and besides that, I saw you aiming your gun at that Death Star, not at me. No tier 1 tank would be stupid enough to side with a strange KV-1 against a Death Star unless he had a damn good reason to want the Death Star to lose." She chuckled, shaking her turret slightly. "Admittedly, most tier 1s would run if they saw that fight happening…"

Tùzǐ turned his turret away, feeling even more embarrassed. "I guess I wasn't exactly thinking straight…" he mumbled.

Narida pulled forward in the direction Tùzǐ had turned. She placed her gun under his and gently lifted it to make him look at her. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "It took a lot of bravery to do that." She smiled, and Tùzǐ sheepishly returned a smile of his own. "Now, what do you say? Would you like to join my team?" she asked again.

Tùzǐ nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Good. Come on, I'll take you to our camp." Narida turned and headed up the road leading out of the valley. Tùzǐ spared one last glance for the smoking wreck of the FV215b(183). Suppressing a shiver, he hurried after the KV-1.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tùzǐ followed Narida through the hilly terrain for several miles, his turret swiveling to scan their surroundings the entire way. He still couldn't shake his fear that the bandits would return. Narida, in contrast, seemed completely unconcerned. She hardly ever turned her turret away from the path they were following. The drive passed in silence aside from the sounds of the two tanks' engines. Once or twice Tùzǐ was tempted to start a conversation to break the silence, but decided it would be better not to draw unnecessary attention to them.

Narida was the first to speak up as they approached the entrance to a small canyon cut into a cliff face. "Hey. Seen anything while I was out?" Tùzǐ looked quizzically at her for a moment. Her turret was still facing forward and she didn't seem to be speaking to him…

Tùzǐ jumped in surprise as a tank destroyer emerged from a bush barely 50 meters away. "Nichts," the StuG answered, "it's been quiet. You seem to have picked up a stray. Who's this?" he asked, indicating Tùzǐ with his cannon.

Another tank destroyer drove out of a bush on the other side of the road, giving Tùzǐ another scare. How did they stay so _quiet?_ This one looked Russian - an SU-85, Tùzǐ thought - but he had a German flag painted on the side of his hull. "Did you find Thrasher's team?" the SU-85 added.

Narida shook her turret. "This is Tuzi. He was a member of Thrasher's team. I found him on the run. Tuzi, this is Riptide," she indicated the StuG; "and Blaze," the SU-85. The two tank destroyers nodded politely as they were introduced. "Thrasher's team was ambushed by the bandits," Narida explained. "Tuzi's pretty sure he was the only survivor."

The tank destroyers' expressions hardened at the news. "I'm sorry to hear that," Blaze said to Tùzǐ. He seemed about to continue, but Riptide cut him off, addressing Narida.

"On the run, you said? So the bandits are within a day's travel. We should increase our patrols and be ready to move camp."

Narida shook her turret again. "We weren't followed, but I killed several of their TDs less than ten miles away. I want the team to move as soon as possible. We'll head for the mountain pass. Finding Ripper's team is our next objective. Call the lights back in, tell them we're moving out."

"Jawohl!" the tank destroyers responded in unison. They resumed their positions in the brush, and Tùzǐ heard their radios crackle on. Narida drove between them into the canyon, motioning for Tùzǐ to follow.

They rounded a bend in the canyon, and Tùzǐ was surprised to see a large open area containing at least a dozen more tanks, temporary garage structures, and a collection of cargo and fuel trucks. Several of the tanks looked over and called out greetings as Narida and Tùzǐ rolled in, but Tùzǐ's attention was immediately caught by a pair of heavies that approached them. Both were considerably larger than even Narida, and Tùzǐ felt absolutely dwarfed in their presence. One looked British, with a long, relatively narrow hull and forward-mounted turret, all flat armor and sharp corners. The other was not so much long as simply BIG. His hull resembled that of a King Tiger, but seemed to be even larger and topped by an oddly teardrop-shaped turret. Both bore Swedish flags on their turret sides.

"Welcome back," the first tank greeted Narida. "Did you have any luck?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. The bandits hit Thrasher's team today. Most of them were wiped out." She turned her turret to Tùzǐ. "Tuzi here survived the raid. Tuzi, this is Carolus, our TOG…" the British heavy raised his cannon in greeting, "and Gustavus the Löwe."

The German tank nodded curtly. "A Chinese tank, hmm? Good to see. You'll make an excellent brawler once you've picked up a few more tiers. Welcome to the team."

"Thank you," Tùzǐ mumbled, still intimidated by the huge heavy tanks.

"I've told Riptide and Blaze to call the scouts back," Narida told the two bigger heavies. "The bandits are too close for this camp to be safe anymore. We're going to head for the mountain pass - we'll camp there tonight and try to find Ripper's team tomorrow. Hopefully they haven't been hit yet."

Carolus nodded. "Right. Let's start breaking down the garages for transport. Tuzi, go ahead and help yourself to some fuel while we get ready - you could probably use it. We'll introduce you to the rest of the team on the trip."

Tùzǐ nodded and drove over to the fuel trucks as the heavies started calling out orders and the camp broke out in a flurry of activity. It looked like the day's excitement wasn't over yet.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The tank column rolled out of the canyon less than an hour later in two groups. Narida led the main group in front while Gustavus (as the highest-tier) and Carolus (as the slowest) followed at a safe distance guarding the fuel and cargo trucks, accompanied by a few faster tanks in case of attacks from the rear. They headed north keeping the cliff face on their right, scouts fanning out on the left flank.

Tùzǐ found himself travelling in the front group. Narida had introduced him briefly to most of the tanks in the team, though Tùzǐ had forgotten most of their names already. He had been amazed to learn that these twenty-odd tanks made up only about a quarter of their entire team. The rest were either involved in other missions or at the team's main base, a city named Kharkov somewhere to the southeast. Tùzǐ resolved to get better acquainted with the group once they made camp at the pass Narida had mentioned. For the moment he occupied himself by monitoring the radio. He had tuned in to the team's frequency before they left the encampment, and he listened carefully for any chatter from the scouts as they drove. This team had an air of confidence about them, but aside from Gustavus none of them out-tiered his old team, and Tùzǐ was sure the bandits wouldn't hesitate to try attacking if they found them.

Several hours passed uneventfully, with only routine status reports from the scouts. The team moved into the foothills, and the scouts ranged further ahead to locate the road to the pass. Narida called a halt at a crossroads to allow the rear group to catch up while they waited for the scouts' report. The tanks milled around, chatting idly while they waited. Tùzǐ busied himself trying to match as many names to tanks as he could. He soon noticed two of the tanks he knew were missing. "Narida? Where are Riptide and Blaze? Are they out scouting?"

The KV-1 turned her turret halfway to look at him. "Not exactly," she answered. "I sent them to examine the town where your old team was ambushed and see if they could find any other survivors…" - she sounded almost embarrassed - "...or salvage." She looked away. "Sorry, it's pretty mercenary of me. But we can use any edge we can get out here."

Tùzǐ nodded, feeling slightly numb. He knew how things worked on the frontier, horrific though it might be. "I understand," he answered after a moment. "Don't feel bad about it."

Narida gave him a crooked half-smile. "If we don't feel bad about it, what's separating us from these bandits?" she asked.

Before Tùzǐ could come up with an answer, their radios crackled to life. "Narida? We found the pass. And it looks like the bandits did too."

Narida frowned. "What have you got, Blitz?"

"There's a little village at the base of the road leading into the pass. Been watchin' it for a couple minutes. We've got at least half a dozen tanks with bandit war paint. Nothing higher than tier 3 though. Might be a rearguard, but they don't seem to be expectin' trouble. I sent Sport back to show you the way."

"All right. Stay out of sight, we'll be there soon."

"A KV-1 tellin' a Panzer 1c how to scout? Wonders never cease." Blitz answered in an amused tone. "Better get here quick or I'll get bored and kill 'em all on my own." She cut off the transmission before Narida could answer.

Narida shook her turret and chuckled quietly, then turned to address the other tanks. "Advance team, look alive! We're moving out as soon as Sport gets here. Get ready for combat." She turned to a pair of tank destroyers. "Adler, Drake, wait here for Gustavus' group and lead them after us." The tank destroyers raised their barrels in salute and headed for cover as the rest of the group prepared to move out. Narida looked back to Tùzǐ. "Ready for a little payback?"

"Definitely," Tùzǐ answered grimly, loading a shell into his cannon breech. Narida nodded approvingly.

The sound of a rapidly approaching engine drew everyone's attention to one of the roads leading up toward the mountains. A BT-7 - Sport - sped into view around a corner, turned sideways and slid to a stop in front of Narida, raising a spectacular dust cloud. "Everyone ready to go?" he asked with a grin.

Narida nodded. "Lead the way." Sport revved his engine loudly in response and turned back up the road. The team followed him as he zig-zagged up the road to allow the slower tanks to keep up.

Sport led them through several more forks in the road, finally slowing down as they approached a large stand of trees. "Blitz is waiting in there. Town's just beyond," he said quietly. Narida nodded and motioned the team up toward the trees. As they drew near Blitz drove out to meet them.

"Took ya long enough," the Panzer said in a low voice. "Looks like about seven or eight tanks in there. Tier 1 and 2 mostly, and one SU-76. How do we wanna play this?"

"I thought we'd give our low tiers a chance to get their treads dirty," Narida answered. "I'll drive out and get their attention, and you and Sport lead the tier 1s around wide to the right. The rest of the team will go left. I want you to take out that SU-76 if you can, and make sure the tier 1s stay safe from flanking fire."

Blitz grinned and saluted insolently. "Yessir, ma'am sir." She turned to Tùzǐ and the other tier 1 tanks - a Leichttraktor and an MS-1. "Ready to do some damage?" All three tanks nodded in response. Sport drove up beside Blitz, and the two led their small group to the edge of the trees to wait for their cue.

Once everyone was in position, Narida rolled forward out of the trees and fired a shell into the village, leveling a small building. The faint sounds of several engines could be heard as the bandits scrambled to defensive positions, and a few much smaller shells flew back across the open ground to bounce off Narida's hull.

Blitz motioned her small squad forward. "Here we go!" The five tanks broke cover and headed for the town, sweeping around wide to stay out of sight as the defenders concentrated on Narida. They reached the town without resistance and took cover spread out behind the first row of buildings. Tùzǐ carefully drove forward until he could look down the street keeping most of his hull covered. Two blocks down the street, an enemy Leichttraktor hid halfway tucked into an alcove between two buildings. Its turret pointed to Tùzǐ's left, toward Narida and the rest of the team. Tùzǐ took careful aim at the base of the turret and fired.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tùzǐ's shell slammed into the base of the enemy Leichttraktor's turret. Another shot - from the allied Leichttraktor beside Tùzǐ - struck its engine deck at almost the same moment. The bandit started to turn its turret towards them, but it moved strangely sluggishly. I must have damaged its turret ring, Tùzǐ thought. The friendly Leichttraktor reloaded just before Tùzǐ, and both of them fired again. Two more shells hit the bandit's engine deck, and it went up in flames. One down.

"Nice one, newbie!" Blitz congratulated Tùzǐ. "Let's go, team! Get in there while they're disoriented!" She and Sport sped off down the street, the three tier 1s following as quickly as they could.

Tùzǐ's optics caught movement as he sped past a gap in the buildings to his left. He screeched to a halt and reversed, bringing his gun around. There, on the next street over, an enemy Renault FT. Its turret was still facing away, toward Narida's position. It seemed the Leichttraktor hadn't managed to call for help. Tùzǐ quickly took aim and fired, and was rewarded with a sizable explosion. Two down. Tùzǐ briefly wondered whether the FT had taken damage from someone else, but then his attention was seized by the turret of a Renault Otsu popping up behind a pile of rubble near the FT's position. This time the enemy's turret was facing the correct direction. Tùzǐ hastily squeezed off a shot as he pulled back into cover behind the building ahead, the Leichttraktor following suit. Neither shot came anywhere near the enemy Otsu.

"Should we stick around and take care of him?" the Leichttraktor asked.

Tùzǐ glanced up the street. Blitz, Sport and the MS-1 were a block ahead, exchanging shots with enemy tanks out of sight around the corner. "Negative. We need to get up there and back them up," he answered, starting up the street after his teammates.

His attention to the fight ahead nearly cost him. As he passed a narrow alley between two buildings, a well-hidden enemy Leichttraktor opened fire. The shell struck his side armor just above his front drive wheel, punching through but missing anything critical. Tùzǐ hissed in pain as he swung his turret around. The bandit was concealed by shadows, but completely without actual cover. Tùzǐ returned fire and landed a solid hit on the Leichttraktor's front-mounted engine. As he backed up into cover behind the corner, the allied Leichttraktor rolled out to catch the enemy's attention. His shot missed the bandit, but the distraction worked.

As the bandit's gun turned to face his teammate, Tùzǐ rolled forward again. Now aware of the threat, he was able to angle his armor defensively as he punched another shot through the enemy's flat front plate. The bandit hastily turned back and fired without aiming, and the shell ricocheted harmlessly off Tùzǐ's sloped nose plate. The wasted shot would cost it the fight. Tùzǐ fired a third shell into the middle of the bandit's engine compartment. Three down.

Tùzǐ and the Leichttraktor rushed up the last bit of the street and parked beside Blitz in the ruin of a bombed-out building. She glanced over at them. "You all right there Tùzǐ?" she asked.

Tùzǐ nodded. "It's not bad. Gave him better than I got."

Blitz grinned. "Good to see you know what you're doin'. We've got two more bandits up the road on the left, and that SU's watchin' from somewhere ahead. He doesn't have great shots on us here, but he's makin' it risky to go around the corner to attack."

"Assault team, how's it going in there?" asked Narida's voice over the radio. "Need our help?"

"Not on your life!" Blitz answered cheekily. "We've scratched five of 'em already. Just keep tossin' those thumpin' great shells of yours over and keep their turrets down. We got this!" Not waiting for a reply, she turned to the three tier 1 tanks. "You three ready? Sport and I are gonna rush that SU-76. You guys take care of the two around the corner."

The NC-31, Leichttraktor and MS-1 nodded. An explosion sounded off to their left as Narida complied with Blitz's request. Blitz signalled to Sport where he waited across the street, and the two took off toward the enemy tank destroyer's position at breakneck speed. A cannon thundered ahead of them, kicking up a huge cloud of debris as the shell narrowly missed Sport's tracks. The tier 1s took the opening and rushed around the corner onto the side street.

A T1 Cunningham waited for them, and opened fire with its autocannon as they rounded the corner. The trio spread out and returned fire. Three shots slammed into the T1's turret as its stream of fire swept over the MS-1. She grunted in pain as four rounds punched through her turret, but the rest missed or bounced harmlessly off her pointed hull. As Tùzǐ reloaded he swept his gaze over the street, searching for the other bandit. Suddenly a shot rang out from the left and… above?

A shell struck Tùzǐ's left front drive wheel, the impact turning his hull slightly and punching a hole in the wheel. He turned to see what had shot him, and to his shock saw the turret of a Vickers Medium Mark I staring back at him from the second story of a half-collapsed building. It fired again, penetrating his side armor just below his turret. As he fired back, he belatedly noticed a pile of rubble forming a crude ramp up to the Medium I's hiding place.

He braced himself for another hit, but before the Medium could fire, the Leichttraktor shot its turret from the side. The shell punched straight through the bandit's firing mechanism, going all the way through and denting the turret armor on the other side. Tùzǐ sighed in relief as he took aim and fired again. The bandit went up in smoke. Four down. Tùzǐ turned back to the T1, just in time to see the MS-1 hit its ammo rack with her next shot. The Cunningham's turret sailed off in flames.

"Good shot," Tùzǐ congratulated her. He turned to the Leichttraktor. "And you too. Thanks for taking out his gun. I thought he had me."

"No problem," the Leichttraktor answered with a grin.

The radio crackled to life. "SU-76 destroyed!" Sport reported. "On our way back. You three all right?"

"We're fine," Tùzǐ answered. "A little banged up, but we took down the last two."

"Good work, little ones," said Narida. "We'll meet you in the square and head into the pass once Gustavus' group catches up."

"Tùzǐ was brilliant!" the Leichttraktor chimed in. "He took out four of them!"

Blitz cackled. "He took down half the enemy team, Narida! Better watch out, or he'll kill the next Death Star and make you look bad!"

Tùzǐ felt like he ought to say something, but he suddenly found himself feeling quite low on energy. Instead he gave a tired grin as Blitz rolled up beside him, and settled down to wait for the rest of the team.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Tùzǐ woke to a small cluster of tanks examining him with worried expressions. That was rather strange; he didn't remember falling asleep. "What happened?" he asked groggily.

"You're awake!" Blitz exclaimed. "You fainted, I think. You musta taken a hit to a fuel line, or transmission or somethin'. Doesn't look like you're leaking fuel... Can you move?"

Tùzǐ gingerly tried opening his throttle and rolled forward several meters. "Transmission's alright. Drive wheel hurts, but it works."

Narida spoke up. "You took a shell right through the wheel. We can probably replace it with one from the bandit FT or Otsu."

"Do we have time for repairs? I thought we had to move on," Tùzǐ asked.

Narida shook her turret. "We're camping here for the night and taking the pass in the morning. It's past nightfall, and we weren't about to leave you here or try towing you into the mountains at night."

Tùzǐ looked up, confused, and noticed the town square was lit only by streetlights and tank headlights. The sky above was black. "I… must have been out for a while." He shook his turret blearily. "Everything's a little fuzzy. I think I need fuel."

Narida nodded. "Drake, bring a fuel truck over here." The T40 tank destroyer saluted and rushed off. Narida turned to Blitz. "Blitz, you've done repair work, haven't you? Can you replace his drive wheel?"

Blitz studied Tùzǐ's damaged wheel for a moment. "I'm no ARV, but yeah, I think I can do it. Looks like FT-17 suspension, should work…" she muttered, driving off in the direction of the cargo trucks.

Tùzǐ waited in a haze as Drake returned with a fuel truck and helped hook him up to it. As his tank was refilled he started to feel more alert. Blitz returned shortly with a wheel from the bandit FT. Tùzǐ held carefully still while she worked, grimacing as his track slid off the damaged wheel. The pain subsided as the wheel was removed, and Blitz quickly installed the replacement and reattached Tùzǐ's track. "Looks good," she proclaimed. "Once you're fueled up, give it a test run."

Drake unhooked the fuel hose. "It looks like he took a hit in the fuel tank. It's high up so it won't leak much, but I can't top his tank off."

Blitz frowned. "Can we put an armor patch on it? I can't fix a fuel tank."

"That should do for a temporary fix," Drake answered. He turned to Tùzǐ as Blitz rushed off again. "You're going to need to fuel up more often until we can get you a proper patch or a new fuel tank. And it might be wise to stay on shallow slopes as much as you can, to keep it from leaking. I know it'll be difficult in the pass, but there's not a lot we can do about it."

Tùzǐ nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I'll be careful."

Narida sighed. "I knew we should have brought at least a couple ARVs along. I just didn't want to risk them this far out in the wilderness. Should have known we'd need them."

"We didn't have that many in the first place," Gustavus answered, driving up beside Narida. "Better to keep them in Kharkov where they're safe. The team needs them, especially since most of the town's factories are bombed out."

Narida nodded reluctantly. "Maybe Ripper's team will have a few. I certainly hope so."

"Indeed." Gustavus turned to Tùzǐ. "Feeling better, little one?"

"Yeah. Just tired," Tùzǐ answered. "I've had a pretty long day."

"So I hear," the Löwe chuckled. "It sounds like I was right about you. Four kills in one engagement. You're already quite the brawler."

Blitz returned with an armor patch and rolled up beside Tùzǐ. "Darn right he is," she said cheerily as she started working. "Tùzǐ was the terror of the battlefield!" She grinned at Tùzǐ and he returned a small smile, slightly embarrassed by all the attention.

"I suppose we should all get our sleep," said Gustavus. "It's best if we get an early start tomorrow. I'll see you on the road, Tùzǐ." The Löwe excused himself with a nod.

Blitz finished patching Tùzǐ's armor and backed up to admire her handiwork. "Done! Now let's get you a garage spot." They exchanged goodnights with Narida and Drake, and Blitz led Tùzǐ to the team's temporary garages. Tùzǐ settled down to sleep with a sigh of relief. This had been an eventful day indeed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The morning passed in a flurry of activity. The team efficiently broke down the garages for transport, fueled up where needed, and broke camp. They headed into the pass all together, moving at a slower pace than they had the previous day. Narida led the group, flanked by Carolus and Gustavus. The scout tanks remained close, peeking around each bend they approached before giving the all-clear and returning to the group.

Blaze and Riptide had apparently returned while Tùzǐ had been unconscious after the battle. Tùzǐ nervously approached them on the road to ask what they had found at the site of the ambush.

"Not a lot," Blaze answered. "There'd obviously been a fight there, but we didn't find any wrecks. Bits of scrap metal, impact craters. But no tanks."

"The bandits beat us to the salvage," Riptide interjected bluntly. "We found the spot where Narida killed the Death Star too, but there was no trace of it either. I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into that thing rebuilt someday."

Tùzǐ shivered at that prospect. "Did you see any of them?"

"The bandits?" Riptide asked. "No. They'd moved on already. I wish I knew where, but we didn't have time to follow-"

A shout rang out from behind them, interrupting Riptide. "Watch it! Contact, rear!"

Tùzǐ spun around. The tanks at the rear of the column had turned and were beginning to engage a swarm of fast-moving tanks with the red war paint Tùzǐ had come to associate with the bandits. The enemy were all small, light tanks, and they didn't seem interested in firing back. They weaved to avoid as much fire as they could as they rushed toward the middle of the column.

"TO THE REAR!" Gustavus' voice boomed out. "COVER THE TRUCKS!" His cannon roared from the raised road ahead and an enemy BT-2 exploded, its wreck turning a complete flip from the force of the shell.

Riptide and Blaze fired in unison. Two enemy Panzer 1c's burst into flames and skidded to rest, their engines destroyed. Tùzǐ's sights settled on a T-26 cresting a rise less than a hundred meters away. He fired and the shell punched through the bandit's lower glacis into its transmission, stopping it in its tracks. "Nice shot!" Blaze called out.

"Tùzǐ, get behind us!" Riptide barked. He shot the T-26 directly in the gun, the shot passing completely through the turret and out the back. "Target anything that gets around our guns. Aim for tracks," he ordered, turning away from the T-26's smoking wreck.

Tùzǐ reversed into cover behind Blaze's hull and scanned the battlefield. The bandits seemed to have chosen a rather terrible place to attack. The road the team occupied sloped up gradually, which allowed the tank destroyers and heavies farther up the column to fire over their comrades. But the attackers pressed on regardless of casualties, suicidally pushing for the cargo trucks.

Blaze fired again, punching a shell completely through an enemy T18 tank destroyer. "Hah! Der ging voll durch ihre panzerung!" he called out.

Riptide sighed. "Give it a rest. You still don't sound REMOTELY German. Covenanter!" His cannon jerked to the right and fired, and the offending tank's turret sailed off, its ammunition hit. "Tango down," he called as he searched for his next target.

"I'm working on it," Blaze muttered.

A flash of movement to the left caught Tùzǐ's attention. He turned to see another Covenanter roll out from behind a boulder, aiming its cannon at Blaze's side. Tùzǐ fired, hitting the bandit's side armor above the tracks. The shot penetrated, and the Covenanter shifted its aim to Tùzǐ. He turned his nose to the left to cover his damaged side and braced for impact.

Suddenly the Covenanter was peppered by a stream of rapid shots from farther up the hill. It fired, but its aim was thrown off and two shots sailed past Tùzǐ's turret harmlessly.

"Up here, punk!" Blitz yelled, barreling down the hill at top speed. Tùzǐ looked up in time to see her hit a bump in the road and go airborne, flying straight at the Covenanter. The Panzer 1c landed squarely on top of the bigger tank, crushing its turret and bouncing off the back of its hull. She hit the ground sideways and slid nearly 30 meters, tilting crazily to the side before finally coming to a stop and slamming back down on both tracks. "Ow," she muttered.

Tùzǐ stared at her in shock for a moment. "How are your tracks still attached?" he asked.

"I have mad skills," Blitz deadpanned in response.

"You're reckless," said Riptide, still searching for targets.

"I'm EFFECTIVE," Blitz countered. "Don't tell Narida I did that though. She always says I take too many risks." Before anyone could answer she sped around the boulder and down the hill into the fray.

The bandits' ranks had thinned drastically, but the few remaining tanks continued to fight. Tùzǐ watched Blitz weave through the melee picking off damaged bandits with her machine gun as others were shredded by the withering barrage from the heavies, tank destroyers and artillery up the hill. Riptide ammoracked another T-26, and silence suddenly settled over the pass as the team searched for targets and found none.

"Sound off!" Narida called out, driving down toward the back of the column. Gustavus and Carolus stayed at the head, turning their turrets back to cover the road ahead. One by one the team answered her in a practiced sequence. Blitz joined Tùzǐ, Blaze and Riptide, calling out her name after the two tank destroyers.

Narida came to a stop near the group as well, looking out over the battlefield as the team continued reporting in. As they reached the end of the list she sighed in relief. "And Tùzǐ," she finished, smiling at him. "We didn't lose anyone." She turned to Blitz, and her optics flashed angrily. "Dammit Blitz!" she snapped, startling both Blitz and Tùzǐ into jumping slightly. "Where is your common sense? Those stunts of yours are going to get you killed!"

Blitz met her gaze stubbornly. "It was gonna kill Tùzǐ. I killed it first. Deal with it."

The two tanks stared at each other angrily for a long moment, but their argument was cut short by Carolus' voice over the radio. "We've got company. Not bandits. Might be Ripper's team."

Narida gave Blitz one last sidelong glance as she turned to drive back up the column. "On my way," she answered. "Form up!" she ordered, and the team began to assemble itself back into an ordered formation.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As soon as Narida had moved out of hearing Blitz exhaled loudly. Her turret was shaking slightly. "Dammit," she whispered.

Tùzǐ pulled up beside her as she started up the column after Narida. "I don't think Narida's really angry with you," he said, taking care to keep his voice too low for Blaze and Riptide to hear. "She was just worried."

Blitz looked up, surprised. "I know," she answered after a few seconds. "She just… scares me a bit," she admitted. "Especially when she's angry."

Tùzǐ frowned. "Why? She's just trying to look out for you."

The Panzer 1c hesitated, looking down at the road. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "You haven't seen her get into a real close-up brawl yet, have you?" she asked at last.

"No…" Tùzǐ answered slowly, not sure where Blitz was going with this.

"She's a heavy tank. Like, a REALLY heavy tank. Six or seven times my weight, I think? Have you ever seen a big tank like that run over a light like they're not even there?" Blitz paused, took a deep breath through her vents to steady her nerves, and met Tùzǐ's gaze again. "I've watched her crush tanks a lot bigger'n me under her treads," she said finally.

Tùzǐ looked at her uneasily. "I don't think she would-"

"Course she wouldn't," Blitz interrupted him quickly. "It's a stupid thought. It's just the thought I get when I piss her off." She turned her turret away as they approached the front of the column, clearly signalling the end of the conversation.

"...not with them. You must have seen us fighting them," Carolus was saying. It took Tùzǐ a moment to notice the turret of an unfamiliar M4 Sherman peering over a rise ahead. "We are here to parley with your leader," the TOG continued, the faintest hint of frustration creeping into his voice.

"I told you, you'll wait right there until he gets here," the M4 snapped. "Move another meter and our TDs open fire."

Another unfamiliar voice joined the conversation. "That will do, Kale. Stand down." The distinctive 'rabbit-eared' turret of a T29 appeared over the rise beside the Sherman. "Please excuse my lieutenant's caution," the T29 said, sweeping his gaze over the team before him. "Our team has spent most of the past few days engaged in an extended retreat. Tempers are beginning to fray."

Narida nodded. "Understandable. Captain Ripper, I presume?"

The T29 stared at her for a moment before turning to directly address Gustavus. "Are all your lower tiers so quick to speak out of turn?"

"Watch how you speak," Gustavus rumbled, his voice dangerously low. "Narida has killed more than her share of T29s over the years. I suggest you find your manners lest she add another to the count."

The T29 turned back to Narida, his expression inscrutable. "You are Narida? I confess I'm rather surprised. From your reputation I had expected a KV-3 at the very least. I apologize for my rudeness." He kept his tone carefully neutral, but Tùzǐ had a feeling he wasn't being entirely sincere. "I am Captain Ripper. What is your business with me?"

"Our home city has recently started suffering raids by bandits with distinctive red camouflage paint," Narida answered. She paused a moment, studying Ripper's expression, but it didn't waver. "We suspected they were connected to the bandits you and Thrasher were rumored to be fighting. We came to offer to join forces."

Ripper was silent for a long time before answering. "There are no remaining cities nearby. Not since the war. Just how far have you come?"

"From Kharkov. Nearly 800 kilometers as the plane flies."

Another long silence. "800 kilometers. With tier 1s in your band. You must be either insane or desperate."

"Determined," Narida retorted. "Kharkov is our home, and we aren't about to abandon it without a fight. The tanks with me volunteered-"

"Why not beg the clans?" Ripper interrupted. "The clan wars are closer. Why come all the way out here?"

"The clans refused," Narida said shortly. "Too busy with their own pointless bickering."

"And so you drove 500 miles to seek out two teams of strangers to save your city. Kharkov. That place was bombed out so many times during the war, I didn't think it still stood. Why are you so determined to stay there? Wouldn't it be easier to find someplace else if you couldn't hold it alone?"

Narida glared at the T29. Tùzǐ glanced nervously at the team's other two heavy tanks. They looked equally angry. He exchanged a look with Blitz, and by wordless agreement the two of them quietly rolled backward, not wanting to be in the way if the heavies came to blows.

"The city's factories were not all destroyed," Narida finally told Ripper, straining to keep her anger out of her voice. "One of them still works. We intend to keep it from falling under the control of these bandits, OR those war-obsessed idiots in the clans."

"Ah," Ripper said with infuriating smugness. "Now THAT is a reason. I'm glad we could finally dispense with the half-truths." Blitz and Tùzǐ rolled back another few meters, feeling increasingly certain they would need to beat a hasty retreat. "I am becoming inclined to accept your offer," Ripper went on, "but you said you were also looking for Thrasher? We might run into difficulties there. He's an old rival of mine, but he always took it a bit more seriously than I did. He likely won't agree to join a team with me among its ranks…"

"We already found him," Narida informed him. "He's dead, along with all but one of his team."

Ripper's slight smirk instantly disappeared. "What? How?"

"Killed by these bandits. An FV215b 183. I found and killed it while it was hunting his last team member."

"I… a Death Star? Out here?" Ripper's tone had gone from smug to horrorstruck. "And they're attacking as far as Kharkov? These aren't mere bandits. There's something more at work here."

"I'm glad you noticed," Narida replied scornfully. "So. Is our offer acceptable? Will you deign to join us?"

Ripper nodded, driving forward over the crest of the rise. "If you'll still have me after my rudeness," he answered, his voice lower and less confident. "It seems my pride has cost me more than I imagined. I have a brother to avenge."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"You're Thrasher's brother?" Tùzǐ blurted out before he could stop himself. Ripper's turret turned slowly to face him. Tùzǐ looked down nervously, mentally hitting himself for speaking up.

"'Was', apparently," Ripper said after what felt to Tùzǐ like a very long time. "You must be the survivor of his team, I take it?" the T29 asked in a slightly gentler voice.

Tùzǐ nodded, still not meeting the heavy tank's gaze.

Ripper sighed heavily. "A single tier 1. You're very lucky, little one." He turned back to Narida. "You must be aware that kind of luck can't last forever, though. We need to get your tier 1s upgraded or they won't stand a chance."

Narida nodded. "Unfortunately we don't have any ARVs with us. Just a few tanks who know how to do simple repairs."

"Well then, it's lucky for both us AND you that you found us. We have three ARVs the bandits haven't killed yet. Kale here is our chief mechanic." Ripper indicated the Sherman beside him.

Kale nodded curtly. "We can get your youngsters upgraded, but I'd rather get out of this pass first. Those bandits chased us up here, and I'm not ready to believe they've given up yet."

Gustavus spoke up. "The other end of the pass may not be any safer. We fought off an attack from the rear just before you found us, remember?"

Ripper looked at him sharply. "You what?"

"Just down the hill, back there," Narida gestured toward the site of the battle. "Around 30 low tier vehicles. They seemed to be trying to destroy our cargo trucks. They were so focused on it they barely scratched us."

"That's strange," Ripper mused. "Our attackers have been primarily Hellcats and a few other tier 6s. They've only used low tiers as scouts..."

"Then it sounds like our end of the pass is the safer one," Carolus interjected. "There's a small town at the mouth of the pass. We can make camp there again to give the ARVs a place to work."

"Acceptable. Kale, call the rest of the team up."

The Sherman saluted and activated his radio. Within a few minutes the remainder of Ripper's team had joined the group at the top of the hill. There were fewer of them than Tùzǐ had expected. Aside from Kale, who had a towing winch and other tools fixed to his hull but still bore the standard Sherman turret, the other two ARVs were fully-converted unarmed M32 variants.

There were only four other combat vehicles: an M10 Wolverine and a T82 tank destroyer, an M6 heavy tank, and an M37 artillery piece.

The newcomers greeted their new allies with enthusiam and obvious relief. All of them bore signs of battle damage, even the ARVs and artillery. In their current state, Tùzǐ doubted they would have lasted another day against the bandits. Thorough introductions were left for a later, safer time. The newly-enlarged column set off for the village at the foot of the pass, with a brief stop to salvage wrecks from the bandit attack to use for upgrade materials.

It was surreal in a way, driving among the wreckage strewn across the battlefield looking for a new chassis - like a macabre parody of shopping for upgrades at a factory. With a bit of encouragement from Blaze, Tùzǐ selected the T-26 he had immobilized with his first shot of the fight. Kale argued that the T-26's ruined transmission and cannon made it unusable, but Blitz provided solutions to both problems. She pointed out that the transmission of the Vickers Medium Mark I salvaged from the village could be adapted to fit the similarly-sized T-26, and after a brief debate Kale declared it a sound plan. For the gun, Blitz presented the 40mm 'Pom-pom' autocannon from the Covenanter she had destroyed.

Once the other two tier 1s had made their selections, the team resumed their formation for the drive. Tùzǐ fell in beside Blitz. "How do you know so much about transmission?" he asked curiously.

Blitz laughed. "I'm a scout tank. I live and die by bein' able to move. Seemed like common sense to me to learn how transmission and suspension work and how to fix 'em. Turned out to be more interestin' than I thought, and I ended up studying all kinds of models. I can fix tracks and everythin' between them and the engine as well as any ARV can," she bragged. "I've actually seen Vickers suspension used on T-26s before. I think it used to be standard for that chassis, back before the war. They call 'em Vickers Mark Es, or VAEs."

"Wow," Tùzǐ said, impressed. "And the gun?"

"The Pom-pom?" Blitz grinned. "I just thought it'd be awesome! Autoloaders are all kindsa fun. That gun'll dish out pain up close like you've never seen."

Tùzǐ returned the grin. "Thanks. That should come in handy."

The rest of the long drive down from the pass went by uneventfully. Blitz spent the trip telling Tùzǐ every bit of trivia she could think of regarding the T-26, before moving on to stories of battles she had fought alongside or against T-26s. Tùzǐ listened intently, amazed at the depth of experience Blitz demonstrated for a tier 3 tank. He barely noticed the time passing until the village came into view early in the afternoon.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

As Tùzǐ and Blitz reached the street leading to the village's central square, Kale's voice called over the radio. "Tier 1s and ARVs to the square, look lively!"

Blitz turned her turret and scowled at the Sherman, who was near the back of the column with the other ARVs and the M37. "I don't like his attitude," she muttered to Tùzǐ. "We pull their asses outta the fire and he thinks he can boss our tanks around."

"It sounds to me like tier matters more to them than it does to this team," Tùzǐ answered, keeping his voice low as well. "Remember how Ripper reacted to seeing Narida in charge?"

Blitz gave a loud huff, smoke puffing from her exhaust pipes. "You bet I do. Disrespectful punk. I woulda liked to see Narida teach him a lesson." They reached the end of the street and turned into the corner of the square to wait.

"It's kinda understandable though." Tùzǐ raised his cannon in a placating gesture as Blitz turned her turret to him with an angry glare. "Thrasher's team was the same way," he went on. "Frontier teams are used to being bossed around by bigger, tougher tanks. You see someone higher tier, you either get out of the way or expect to get crushed."

"...Hmph. Fine, I can see where they're comin' from. I'd still love to see Ripper take on a Death Star and see if he's still talkin' crap afterwards."

Tùzǐ shivered at the morbid implications, remembering the way Thrasher's turret had disintegrated after a single hit. As he was trying to think of a diplomatic reply, the ARVs rolled into the square. Kale looked around, confirming that the three tier 1 tanks were present, then turned to Blitz. "1c, shouldn't you be patrolling the perimeter? We have work to do here."

Blitz fixed him with a glare that looked like it should have melted his armor. "I'm helping upgrade Tùzǐ, remember? I'm the one who actually knows how Vickers transmission works."

"Ah, of course," Kale brushed off the implied insult, turning to the cargo trucks. "Let's get started then."

Tùzǐ awoke with a mild feeling of déjà vu. It was the second time he was waking up in this square from some form of unconsciousness rather than proper sleep, he realized with mild amusement. He felt MUCH better this time though. His fuel tank had been filled properly, and the mild ache of the shells he had taken was gone.

"Tùzǐ? How you feelin'?" Blitz asked him.

Tùzǐ turned his turret to look at her, noticing the much quieter sound of his new turret ring. "Great," he answered. "Everything feels... smoother." Remembering his new gun, he tried loading a shell container. The motions were unfamiliar, but easy enough to figure out. "The gun's a little strange to get used to…"

Kale interrupted him. "Your first time using an autoloader? You should try shooting and reloading with it. Practice will help more than anything else." He glanced at Blitz. "Maybe you could give him some pointers. Outside the town. We need to focus on our work."

Narida spoke up from a position at the edge of the square. "Blitz, Tùzǐ, come with me. We'll go out on a patrol." She watched Kale for a long moment as the two light tanks drove over to her, then turned to lead them out of the town.

The three tanks followed the team's trail down through the foothills mostly in silence. Blitz fumed quietly to herself as they drove. Tùzǐ experimented with his new, more powerful engine, going out of his way to drive over rises and rough terrain. Narida watched them both with obvious amusement.

The road curved around a hill and the trio found themselves on a low, rocky ridge looking out over rolling hills. They came to a halt and scanned the horizon warily. Tùzǐ's optics caught a flash of movement in the distance. "Look," he whispered, "is that a tank?" He indicated the spot, and all three tanks waited for whatever it was to show itself.

After a few seconds there was another flash on the next hill over. Narida's turret twitched to follow it. "...That's an ELC AMX. Bandit paint. Coming this way. We'll have to get the team ready for action. But let's deal with this one first." She turned to Blitz and Tùzǐ. "Take cover and stay out of sight. That thing has a nasty gun. I'll take care of this."

Blitz nudged Tùzǐ with a track and motioned to a stand of brush against the steep hillside. Tùzǐ stared after her for a moment as she hurried to hide. The irritated expression Blitz had worn since leaving town had abruptly changed. She looked almost… excited? Tùzǐ shook his turret, drove after her and slipped into a gap in the brush.

Narida rolled forward onto the ridgeline and made a show of slowly turning her turret, pretending to scan the horizon. After a few moments she rolled back partly into cover with a confident nod. The three tanks waited, listening as the sound of the enemy scout's engine became audible, rapidly approaching. Narida deliberately turned her hull and turret to the right as the sound moved to the left, still feigning ignorance. Tùzǐ watched nervously. It didn't seem likely the KV-1 would be able to turn her cannon around quickly enough to catch the ELC before it hit her and sped past.

"Should we-"

"Shh!" Blitz interrupted him. Seconds later they heard the ELC's engine whine as it reached the slope up to the rise, and the bandit scout popped up onto the ridge behind Narida, still moving at nearly full speed.

As the ELC sped toward her, Narida fired a burst from the machine gun in the back of her turret. The bullets struck just behind the base of the ELC's cannon, punching through into the firing mechanism. The bandit yelped in pain and slid to a stop, bumping against the KV-1's left rear drive wheel. Narida smirked and backed up slightly. The ELC's thin armor buckled under her treads as her weight slammed the light tank's nose into the dirt, lifting the rest of the tank slightly off the ground. Narida locked her right track and threw her left into full reverse. The ELC had time for a single fearful whimper before being dragged under Narida's treads with a sickening crunch and a small spray of oil and fuel.

Tùzǐ winced and looked away from the grisly spectacle. He heard Blitz gasp, but she didn't sound frightened. He glanced over through the brush. The Panzer 1c was watching Narida with an expression of obvious awe. She certainly didn't seem as afraid of Narida as she had claimed after the bandit ambush.

Narida turned around and drove up to the bushes, bits of scrap metal falling from her treads. "Come on, let's get back to the team. We need to let them know the bandits are moving nearby."

Blitz drove out of cover and around Narida to lead the way back up the road, her expression schooled to blankness. Tùzǐ fell in beside Narida and followed Blitz. After they had gone some distance up the road, he snuck a careful glance at Narida. The KV-1 was watching Blitz with a small, strange smile.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

As the village came into view, Tùzǐ suddenly remembered his second reason for going out on patrol. "Dangit, I forgot to practice with my new gun."

"Oh, right!" Narida came to a stop. "Let me call for some tanks to watch the road back there, then we'll head back out and get you some practice." She activated her radio. "Riptide, Blaze, meet us at the west road."

Ripper's voice snapped back "Where the hell have you been? The bandits pushed our scouts out of the pass, and we can't move until the upgrades are done. Get in here!"

Narida's turret snapped up toward the town. "They're attacking?"

Ripper started to answer, but Gustavus' voice overpowered his. "It's not a major assault. They're harassing us with guerrilla strikes."

Ripper raised his voice. "We need to pin down these scouts, and get those damn upgrades finished so we can get the hell out of here. We're vulnerable in this position. We shouldn't have stopped so close!"

Narida sighed. "We just killed a scout down the west road. I need Riptide and Blaze to cover the road to make sure we're not flanked. I'll help deal with- wait." She started to turn around as a cannon sounded behind the trio, kicking up a shower of dirt several meters short of their position. Tùzǐ spun his turret around, and felt his fuel turn to ice. Less than 300 meters away, an AMX 50 B was watching them from the last bend in the road. Rather than the typical French blue, its armor was a solid dull red, the same color as the striped camouflage most of the bandits wore.

"Gustavus, west road, now," Narida hissed into the radio. "Tier 10." She shut off her radio, curtailing Ripper's shocked reply, and turned to face the bandit. Tùzǐ glanced back toward the town, and saw Blitz taking cover in a large clump of bushes beside the road.

The bandit AMX called out in a voice that was clearly female, but strangely distorted; a quiet, alien shriek underlying her words. "I see I have your attention. Which of you WORMS killed my little ELC?" Tùzǐ winced, a dull ache taking hold in his turret as the AMX spoke. The bandit turned her turret to stare at Tùzǐ, then at Narida. "KV. I recognize you. You are the one who struck down Lord Bel."

Tùzǐ glanced over at Narida. She looked as confused as he was. The AMX continued. "And now you've killed one of my pets. Perhaps I'll kill yours." Her turret panned back to Tùzǐ.

Tùzǐ started backing slowly toward a large rock, knowing he wouldn't make it if the bandit decided to fire. Narida followed in reverse, keeping her hull front angled toward the AMX.

"What will it be, KV?" the AMX asked, a gloating lilt to her voice. The background noise had risen to a piercing whine that swelled with each word, accompanied by a sharp sting of pain in Tùzǐ's innards. "Will you give yourself up politely, or shall I kill your little ones first?" She glanced past Narida and Tùzǐ to the bushes where Blitz was hiding.

Narida stopped in her tracks and fired without a second thought. The shell struck the AMX's turret base. The shot penetrated, but the bandit merely sneered, seeming not to feel it. "Wrong answer." The whine behind her words rose to a sudden shriek, and Tùzǐ yelped as a white-hot jolt of pain shot through him. He thought for a moment he had been shot, but then the AMX's cannon roared, and he noticed through the haze that the noise was entirely different.

Narida spun her hull towards Tùzǐ as the AMX fired. Her drive wheel slammed into his hull and pushed him back. Tùzǐ was shaken out of his daze as the shot meant for him slammed into the KV-1's side armor, rocking her hull and slamming her track into his glacis plate again. He started reversing as Narida pushed him toward the rock. Seeing he was moving under his own power, Narida pulled between him and the AMX. A second shot slammed into the side of her turret mere seconds after the first. As she pulled behind the rock, a third shot aimed at her engine deck ricocheted off her rear plate.

"Gustavus, GET OUT HERE!" Narida screamed into the radio. Before she finished speaking, the distinctive roar of the Löwe's cannon sounded from the village, followed by the clang of a shell impact on the AMX's armor.

Several seconds of silence followed, then Gustavus called back. "She's backed off. Gave her a good hit, but she barely seemed to feel it. Can you still move? She's an autoloader, I doubt she's left for good."

"I'm fine," Narida answered. "Tùzǐ, Blitz, get into the town NOW. Gustavus and I will cover you." She carefully angled her hull at 80 degrees and backed partway out from behind the rock, showing her side and turret to the AMX's last position. "GO."

Tùzǐ gunned his engine and rushed for the town. Blitz broke cover ahead of him and zipped into the town past Gustavus, turning into the first side street. Tùzǐ followed, panting as he slid to a stop.

"They're clear, Narida. Fall back," Gustavus called. Narida crossed the open space slowly in reverse. She and Gustavus scanned the road anxiously until she reached the edge of the town, but the bandit didn't appear again.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Blitz stared at Tùzǐ with wide optics as he caught his breath. "Did that AMX hit you?" she asked, sounding shocked.

Tùzǐ shook his turret, then noticed Blitz was staring at his glacis plate. He looked down and winced. The normally flat plate was dented sharply inwards where Narida's wheel had hit him. Blitz must have mistaken the dent for a shell impact in the poor lighting. "I froze up when the AMX shrieked. Narida had to ram me out of the way."

"Ouch." Blitz winced in sympathy. "What the hell was that shriek, anyway? I've never heard anythin' like it…"

Tùzǐ shrugged. "Me neither."

Narida peered around the corner from the main street. "You two alright? Sorry about the ram, Tùzǐ. I had to get in front of you fast."

"Don't worry about it," Tùzǐ replied. "You saved my life."

"Consider yourself lucky," Blitz remarked, her normal cheeky tone returning to her voice. "Not many tier 2s have been rammed by a KV-1 and lived." She drove past Tùzǐ and circled around Narida, examining the penetration marks on her turret and side plate. "How 'bout you, any permanent damage?"

Narida gave Blitz a tired smile. "I'm fine, Blitz. You know it takes more than that to put me down."

"Yeah, but I can hope!" Blitz cackled.

Tùzǐ stared at Blitz, at a loss for words. Gustavus heaved a sigh. "Good to see your attitude made it through this ordeal," he remarked sarcastically, not turning his turret away from the western road.

The sound of an engine drew Tùzǐ's attention toward the town square. Ripper turned onto the street and approached the group. Tùzǐ could see several of the team's lower-tier tanks watching nervously from the square.

"What's going on?" the T29 demanded. "What's this about a tier 10?"

"An AMX 50 B," Narida told him. "She traded a few shots with us and then retreated."

Ripper scowled. "Retreated? Not for long, I guarantee. So what now? We're surrounded. We can't stay here."

Narida nodded. "We'll head west as a group, and turn south as soon as we can. The roads out there are a maze, and the AMX seemed to be alone. Staying together gives us a better chance if she shows up. How quickly can the ARVs finish the upgrades?"

Ripper started to turn back toward the square. "It will be faster to have them tow the young ones and finish the upgrades lat-"

"No," Narida interrupted sharply. "We're not leaving the upgrades half-done. They finish them now."

The T29 turned his turret back to look at her. "We need to move. We don't have time for sentimentality."

Narida shifted her turret slightly to aim her cannon directly at Ripper. "I am not making a suggestion," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. "Let me make this clear. Those young ones are my responsibility. I am trusting your ARVs with their lives. Tell them to finish the upgrades, correctly and completely, as quickly as they can. If either of my tanks is harmed by a botched upgrade, I will hold you and your ARVs responsible. Do you understand me?"

Ripper met her glare steadily, and several seconds passed in tense silence. "...Fine. You have us at a disadvantage in any case. It would hardly be productive to argue the point." He turned his turret away and started toward the square. "See to it we're ready to move as soon as the upgrades are finished."

Once Ripper had disappeared around the corner again, Tùzǐ let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Gustavus turned his turret to look at Narida. "We should really try not to antagonize them any more than we need to," the Löwe said gently.

Narida sighed. "I know. I should have been more tactful. I just get sensitive about upgrades..."

"Naturally," Gustavus nodded, "but Ripper doesn't know your history."

"I'll apologize to him later," Narida said. "For now, let's get everyone ready to move. I'll go and gather the guards from the pass." Gustavus nodded again, activated his radio, and started calling out orders as Narida drove off.

Tùzǐ nudged Blitz with a track. "What's Narida's 'history' with upgrades?" he asked.

"Simple," Blitz answered quietly. "The last time she got upgraded, somethin' got screwed up. I dunno what. She lost her memory - still doesn't remember anythin' from before she was a KV-1. Even had to be reminded what her name was."

Tùzǐ stared at her in horror. "That's awful!"

Blitz glanced up and down the street, making sure no one was listening in. "I heard her sister killed the ARV that screwed up the upgrade," she whispered. "Narida doesn't like to talk about it. Don't go spreading this around. Most of the team don't know. Gustavus and Carolus do."

Tùzǐ nodded. "I'll keep it to myself," he promised. "How long ago was it?"

Blitz shrugged. "I dunno exactly. I wasn't there. More than fifteen years ago." She turned and started up the street toward the village square, gesturing for Tùzǐ to follow. "Come on, let's fuel up before we leave."


End file.
